Latest Stories from Charlie
Could Spotify’s HiFi streaming tier drop in 2025?
Spotify first announced a HiFi tier of music streaming almost four years ago. It looks like its original plans could finally be put into effect this year. The world’s most popular streaming service Spotify looks set to launch its new HiFi subscription tier this year. First announced in 2021, Bloomberg has reported that the company hopes to roll out this new feature soon. Speaking anonymously, the source said that Spotify aims...
Meta planning to build new sub-sea internet cable across globe
As part of Project Waterworth, the cable will connect many key regions. Meta plans to create boosted connectivity across major continents to support future projects like AI. Meta, the parent company that owns many social media platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, is planning on building a 50,000km sub-sea cable across the entire globe. The development will be part of Project Waterworth, the longest underwater cable project ever. If successful, a...
Taylor Swift becomes biggest female artist of all time in the UK
Taylor Swift has now become the biggest female artist of all time in the UK, with the most UK No 1 albums ever. The record means she has officially surpassed Madonna. The rise and cultural dominance of Taylor Swift continues with no real end in sight. She has just broken Madonna’s record as the female artist with the most No 1 albums in the UK thanks to the release of...
What do Gen Z really think about the UK?
New research by The Times has found that Gen Z has remarkably different opinions on the UK than Millennials did twenty years ago. What’s causing the change and why? If you live in the UK, what are the first words that come to mind when I ask you to describe our island? Grey, monotonous, dreary…any of that feel familiar? While I can probably bank on most people agreeing on those...
US rejects most of Nintendo’s anti-Palworld patent claims
Nintendo could move its legal battle over Palworld to the US, though 22 out of 23 of its recent patent claims were rejected. It is part of a complicated and ongoing legal tangle with Pocketpair. Remember the game Palworld? It was billed as ‘Pokémon with guns’ by most gaming journalists and set the Steam charts ablaze when it first launched in January 2024. The title offers a mix of open-world...
Google Calendar removes key cultural events including Pride
As part of its ongoing roll back of diversity initiatives, Google has removed several inclusive holidays from its Calendar service. It says their inclusion was ‘not sustainable’ for its future. Google Calendar has removed several key cultural holidays from it services on both desktop and mobile. These include references to Black History Month, Women’s History Month and LGBTQ+ holidays, among others. The company has previously marked the occasion for all...
UK and US fail to sign international AI declaration
Both the UK and US have refused to sign an international agreement on AI at a global summit in Paris. The documents called for ‘open,’ ‘inclusive’ and ‘ethical’ practices within this new, emerging industry. The UK and US have not signed an international agreement on AI at a global summit in Paris. Having been signed by dozens of countries including France, China and India, the statement called for ‘open,’ ‘inclusive’...
Google’s Gemini AI advert coughs out incorrect cheese facts
In the first version of its latest advert for AI, Google’s Gemini can be seen providing incorrect information on cheese. It’s an excellent example of why we shouldn’t rely entirely on AI to do the thinking for us. Honey, the Large Language Model (LLM) AI program is hallucinating again! It looks like Google’s own AI model – Gemini 2.0 - has been playing up, and no actual human being within...
Ed Sheeran street concert shut down by police in India
In widely-shared footage online, a police officer can be seen unplugging Ed Sheeran’s microphone at a street performance in India. Ed Sheeran had his street performance in India cut short over the weekend, despite reportedly asking permission before starting. A police offer unplugged his microphone and ushered him away, leaving onlookers disappointed. The incident occurred before Ed was scheduled to play in the city of Bengaluru later that evening. He...
let it go, it’s already happened
turns out there is such a thing as too much nostalgia. Hi there, folks! This is my first venture into The Common Thred, an honour that is bestowed upon only a select few. I embrace this newfound responsibility with absolute seriousness and I intend to come out swinging. Before I get too deep into the weeds, it’s worth mentioning that I used to be a regular employee at Thred. I was...
